Northern Edition

Select Edition

Northern Northern
Southern Southern
Global Global
New Zealand New Zealand
France France

Quade Cooper spotted at MLR side's training facility

Quade Cooper /Getty

Tongues have been set wagging after mercurial Wallabies flyhalf Quade Cooper was spotted training with MLR side, the LA Giltinis.

ADVERTISEMENT

Cooper – who recently guided the Hanazono Kintetsu Liners to automatic promotion to the top division in Japan Rugby League One – joined the Giltinis for training, fully decked out in their famous pink and blue apparel.

The Los Angeles based franchise sit in second place on the MLR Western Conference standings, with three rounds to play in the regular season.

Video Spacer

John Cooney – Broncos, Brad Thorn & Marcell Coetzee | RugbyPass Offload | Episode 34

Video Spacer

John Cooney – Broncos, Brad Thorn & Marcell Coetzee | RugbyPass Offload | Episode 34

While Cooper’s run out with the club might get people talking, it is understood that the 34-year-old isn’t about to swap that Japan for LA and that it was just a flying visit to their training facility in El Segundo.

The veteran of 75 tests was a revelation for Australia last year, when he made a long-awaited return to the international arena after a four-year hiatus from the Wallabies.

In his first test back, Cooper landed the winning penalty after full-time to hand the Wallabies an upset win over the Springboks on the Gold Coast, before playing a key role in a second successive victory over South Africa in Brisbane a week later.

Cooper also played a prominent hand in victories over Argentina and Japan to give the Wallabies their first five-match winning run outside of World Cup years since 2008.

ADVERTISEMENT

Club commitments in Japan prevented Cooper from touring with the Wallabies on the European leg of their end-of-year tour, where they lost all three tests against Scotland, England and Wales.

However, he is expected to once again be a pivotal figure in Dave Rennie’s national squad this year as one of three foreign-based Wallabies under Rugby Australia’s new selection policy.

If Cooper did join the franchise, he would be in good company, as the Giltinis already boast a strong Australian contingent. They won MLR in their first season of existence last year, beating Rugby ATL 31-17 in the final last August.

Wallabies greats Matt Giteau and Adam Ashley-Cooper, now an assistant coach of the team, were both crucial in that title run, and Giteau – at the age of 39 – has returned this season as one of 14 Australian players in the Giltinis roster.

ADVERTISEMENT

Other notable Australians in the LA squad, which coached by former Wallabies loose forward Stephen Hoiles, include ex-Wallabies utility forward Dave Dennis and former NRL star Will Chambers.

Former Super Rugby players Billy Meakes, Angus Cottrell, Harrison Goddard and Charlie Abel are also part of the side, while the club is owned by Australian entrepreneur Adam Gilchrist.

The Giltinis will continue their title defence this weekend when they travel to Texas to face the Dallas Jackals at Choctaw Stadium in Arlington.

ADVERTISEMENT

LIVE

{{item.title}}

Trending on RugbyPass

Comments

0 Comments
Be the first to comment...

Join free and tell us what you really think!

Sign up for free
ADVERTISEMENT

Latest Features

Comments on RugbyPass

H
Hellhound 30 minutes ago
France put World Cup pain behind them with unbeaten run in November

France is starting to look like they are finally over their WC headache, although they were lucky that NZ had a very bad game. The Argies as usual is one game good, the next bad. If they can sort that out and be more consistent, they could become contenders for the WC.


NZ, Argentina (if they are more consistent), and now the Wallabies too is in an upward curve (can they be consistent?), as well as Fiji(as inconsistent as Argentina) looks like possible contenders. The Boks will be as usual a huge threat to defend their title. Things are looking up for the South, so the North should rightfully beware of the Southern Hemisphere threat.


With the French looking dangerous, the English with their close runs (mostly a mindset problem) and the Scottish seems to be the NH main contenders. The Irish is good, but not excellent anymore. They are more overbearing and with their glory days mostly gone with old players hanging on by a thread, by 2027 if they don't start adding in the younger players, they won't make it past yet another WC Quarter final. The problem is that their youngsters, while good is nothing special.


That is just 8 teams without the Irish that can become real WC contenders. Lots of hickups to be sorted still for these teams, excluding the Boks to become a threat. Make no mistake, the top Tier is much closer than people realise and the 2027 WC will be a really great WC, possibly the best contended WC ever.

1 Go to comments
TRENDING
TRENDING 'I don't think Steve Borthwick would pick Jack Willis even if he's playing in England' 'I don't think Borthwick picks Willis even if he's playing in England'
Search